H.R. 3347House111th Congress (2009-2011)In Committee

Freedom Trade Act

To withdraw normal trade relations treatment from the products of foreign countries that do not maintain acceptable standards of religious freedom and worker rights.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

July 27, 2009

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 27, 2009

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H8853)

July 27, 2009

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

July 27, 2009

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 3347 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotterR-MI-11 · Jul 27, 2009

Mr. Speaker, tonight I have introduced H. Res. 680, calling upon President Obama to retract and apologize for his remarks regarding the conduct of Cambridge, Massachusetts, police officer James M.…

Mr. Speaker, tonight I have introduced H. Res. 680, calling upon President Obama to retract and apologize for his remarks regarding the conduct of Cambridge, Massachusetts, police officer James M. Crowley, Jr. Mr. Speaker, I view this as a Presidential issue.

After admitting his bias and inadequate grasp of the facts, the President nevertheless stated Sergeant Crowley had ``acted stupidly'' when carrying out his duties as a law enforcement officer. Subsequently, in a public remark, the President said that Sergeant Crowley had ``overreacted.''

On his part, Sergeant Crowley has steadfastly denied any inappropriate conduct.

Mr. Speaker, this is the crux of the problem, and it is a situation patently unfair to Sergeant Crowley and his standing regarding potential legal and professional consequences. Therefore, I ask the President to retract his premature judgment, apologize for it, and allow the appropriate authorities to resolve this issue through due process.

With my view, Kenneth E. Grabowski, legislative director of the Police Officers Association of Michigan agrees. I quote Mr. Grabowski: ``After admitting a bias against the police officer and an ignorance of the facts, the President used his bully pulpit to help a well-connected friend by unfairly accusing an officer of misconduct in the performance of his duties. It must not stand. If it does, what officer will be next?''

And I would add, what citizen will be next?

Mr. Speaker, tonight I have also introduced H.R. 3347, the Freedom Trade Act, which applies human rights as a criterion of trade with the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I believe H.R. 3347 is most timely, for today, in the Ronald Reagan Building, President Obama stated how ``the relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world.''

On my part, I believe it is therefore imperative that this relationship be built upon a common and unbreakable commitment to every human being's God-given rights to liberty, including the rights of the free exercise of religion and speech and to the ability to form free and independent labor unions.

That is why this bill is necessary. It will show all our potential partners throughout the world that the United States remains a beacon of freedom that will never forget Natan Sharansky's warning that ``how a government treats its own people cannot be separated from how that government could be expected to treat other countries.''

Mr. Speaker, with this I wholeheartedly concur.

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 27, 2009

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3347

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 27, 2009

Mr. McCotter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To withdraw normal trade relations treatment from the products of foreign countries that do not maintain acceptable standards of religious freedom and worker rights.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Freedom Trade Act.

Withdrawal of normal trade relations treatment from products of foreign countries that do not maintain acceptable standards of religious freedom and worker rights

Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 is amended by adding at the end the following:

Additional Restrictions on Trade Relations with Foreign Countries

441.

Withdrawal of normal trade relations treatment

Effective on and after the end of the 6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this chapter, and subject to the other provisions of this chapter—

(1)

normal trade relations treatment shall not apply to the products of a foreign country with respect to which a certification described in section 442 is not in effect; and

(2)

the column 2 rate of duty in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States shall apply to the products of such a foreign country.

442.

Certification

(a)

Initial certification

A certification described in section 441 is a certification that meets the following requirements:

(1)

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and the Secretary of State certify to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the foreign country is not engaging in violations of religious freedom, as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6402).

(2)

The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor certify to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the foreign country is not restricting the freedom of workers to associate and the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively.

(3)

The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor certify to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the foreign country does not prohibit or limit the functioning of free and independent labor unions.

(b)

Recertifications

Not later than 12 months after the date on which an initial certification is made under subsection (a) with respect to a foreign country and every 12 months thereafter—

(1)

the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Labor (as the case may be) shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a recertification that the conditions described in subsection (a) are continuing to be met with respect to the foreign country; or

(2)

if the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Labor (as the case may be) is unable to make such a recertification with respect to the foreign country, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Labor shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that contains the reasons therefor.

(c)

Definitions

For purposes of this section—

(1)

the right of workers to organize includes the right—

(A)

to establish and join organizations of workers of their own choosing without previous authorization, to write the constitutions and rules to govern those organizations, to elect or select the leadership of those organizations, and to determine the agendas and programs of those organizations;

(B)

to join confederations of organizations of workers, and affiliate with international organizations of workers; and

(C)

to be protected against dissolution or suspension of such organizations, confederations, or affiliations by any governmental authority; and

(2)

(A)

the term free and independent labor union means a labor union that operates independently of any governmental authority or ruling party, is not required to join or be affiliated with a specific political party, and is allowed to strike (subject to an exception for employees providing essential services and a temporary exception during instances of acute national emergency);

(B)

the term acute national emergency means a crisis in which the normal conditions for the functioning of society are absent, such as in the case of a serious conflict, insurrection, or natural disaster; and

(C)

the term essential services means those services that, if interrupted, would endanger the life, personal safety, or health of the whole or part of the population.

443.

Relationship to other law

The prohibitions in section 441 apply to a foreign country in addition to any other provision of law that otherwise operates as a prohibition or limitation on trade relations with the foreign country.